The February SOARC meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 20th at the Fruitdale Grange at 7 p.m. The board meeting will start at 6 p.m.

The program this month will be on QSLing and how to use the QSL Bureaus.

If you haven't paid your 2007 dues, you can take care of this at the February meeting. Annual dues to SOARC is still only $15.

Hope to see you at the meeting!
Jim W7PUP

Hey, Oregon guys, it's that time again... The annual 7QP (was the Oregon QSO Party) will run this year on Saturday, May 5. We have better rules, an outstanding record to uphold, and plaques for the winners. Whether you can participate again this year or not, I'd appreciate your reply so we can make other arrangements to cover your county. The counties of Gilliam, Morrow, Sherman, Union, Wasco, and Wheeler remain as targets for expeditions and/or mobiles.

Talk it up when you can. Your support and enthusiasm for this event is the backbone for the participation in Oregon.

Thanks,
Dick

PS: If a club or individual would like to sponsor a 7QP category plaque, it's just $25. You can even make up your own category! Details are on the web at www.7QP.org

Richard Frey - K4XU
61255 Ferguson Rd. Bend, OR 97702
Email: k4xu@arrl.net
Web page: www.codxc.org

New e-mail address for Mike Wright, N7GEI

Hi all!

Our new primary e-mail address is n7gei@roadrunner.com. Our cable broadband service changed from Adelphia to Time Warner which uses the Roadrunner ISP. We still have MSN and AOL, but, eventually, we will probably reduce our service to just one. We hope you all are doing well, and we look forward to seeing some of you at the next Wright reunion!

Best regards,
Mike & Minnie Wright

• SOARC Repeaters, K7LIX with autopatch on 146.640(-) and on 147.300(+)
• SOARC ARES/NTS Net: Monday evenings at 7:30 p.m. on 147.300(+) repeater.
• ORCA Swapnet - Wednesday evenings at 8 p.m. on the ORCA system.

The League wants the best of your culinary art, those recipes designed to please the most discriminating Field Day palates. After all, Field Day is a social event for many clubs and nothing goes better with friends than food.

If we receive a sufficient number of qualifying entries, we will publish the best of the best on the ARRLWeb and possibly in QST.

Here are the rules:

• The recipe must be reproducible with ordinary outdoor equipment. Most Field Day sites have a charcoal grill or fire pit, at best. It's safe to assume that a gourmet chef's kitchen will not be available.
• If the food is designed to be prepared in advance, it must be an item that can be stored for at least 48 hours without refrigeration. You don't want Charlie's Egg Salad turning into Charlie's Salmonella Surprise.
• The recipe ingredients must be obtainable at an ordinary grocery. Pureed snail's tongue, for example, may be difficult for some amateurs to locate.
• The recipe must be original. In other words, don't steal it from Betty Crocker and call it your own.
• The recipe must include a complete list of ingredients, the amounts of each and instructions on how to cook the dish into something a human being would consider edible.

E-mail your recipes to Steve Ford, WB8IMY, QST Editor, at sford@arrl.org no later than February 16. Include the name and call sign of the chef, along with the name and location of your club. If you have a photo of the finished product, the chef or both, send them, too!

Reading for knowledge

Here's an interesting site that with over 1 GB of old books of interest for hams for which the copyright has expired, including some Radio Amateur's Handbooks, Radio Handbooks, etc., all in PDF format. Most are from the pre-solid state era. When you log on to the site at
http://www.pmillett.com/tecnical_books_online.htm

Note the misspelling of "technical".

Thanks, Bob N7XY

Fun on the web

• Here's a great Web site from ON4WW with all kinds of operating tips for newcomers and old timers on proper operating procedures: http://www.on4ww.be/OperatingPracticeEnglish.html. Thanks, Matt WV1K
• Here is an excellent web page that Jim KJ1MBO came across. This Web page can be a good start for our club's Field Day Committee. It's never too early to start planning http://www.alpinesoft.com/fieldday
• Spain's King Juan Carlos is a ham, call sign is EA0JC.

Switching made easy

The attached Word file is a diagram and construction notes on a switch circuit that I just finished. I simply got tired of changing my IC-735 audio output from speaker to computer and back again. Another more complex switch with cables I finished a couple of days ago is a convenient way to use my CW paddle on all three of my transceivers or my Autek cmos keyer. This circuit is similar but will not be of much interest since most club members do not use CW regularly. Since I regularly use my paddle to tune my radios/tuners it is a very useful addition to my station.

For those of you that are running computer sound card digital modes like PSK31, are you tired of the inconvenience of changing the audio output in the back of your radio from the computer to external speaker and back again? Here is a simple solution that only requires a double pole-double throw switch, shielded audio cable *, a stereo cable with 1/8" stereo plug from an old pair of discarded earphones and a standard 1/8" audio plug.

Since connecting wires run all over the place it is advisable to use shielded cable not twisted pairs for all connections. Mount the switch in any convenient location using an L-bracket. Also please note that the ring on the stereo plug is not connected.

                  O --- Tip 1/8"  stereo plug
Tip O	--------->				
                  O --- (+) Ext. Speaker
1/8" Audio Plug					
(to radio)
                  O --- Body of 1/8" stereo plug
Body O	--------->					
                  O --- Ext. Speaker

In 2007, exams will be given on Friday evenings from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Fruitdale Grange (VEC people come at 6 p.m.). The dates are as follows:

• May 25
• August 24
• November 23

Currently the fee for exams is $14.00.

Remember to visit the www.arrl.org website to get the latest information about testing, requirements, new changes that are coming down the pike. The website for Grants Pass exam schedules is http://www.arrl.org/arrlvec/examsearch.phtml. If you will notice the right hand side contains lots of hyperlinks covering most of the questions about exam sessions. A copy of this completed schedule has been sent to the VEC and should appear at this site very soon.

73, Bill (WX7U), VE and Liaison.

By Kevin Curry KA7KYQ for the Oregon Section of the ARRL

Background: Three pieces of legislation have been introduced in the Oregon Legislature that have the potential to prohibit operating a two-way radio device while driving an automobile. The three pieces are very similar in how they are written. Specifically, HB 2482 and SB 293 are nearly identical save for a higher fine in the Senate Bill. SB 246, on the other hand, is a little more complex in that it includes increased fines if the violation results in an accident, injury or death, and requires the offender to take additional steps after conviction (financial and filing) as well as suspends their license.

Here is specific information on the current status of each bill:

SB 246: Presession filed at the request of the Senate Interim Committee on Judiciary at the request of former Sen. Charlie Ringo and Graham Covington. Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee.

SB 293: Pre-session filed at the request of the Senate Interim Committee on Judiciary. Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee. A hearing on this Senate Bill has been scheduled for February 13 at 1 p.m.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is made up of:

• Sen. Ginny Burdick (D- SW Portland/Tigard), Chair
• Sen. Roger Beyer (R- Molalla), Vice Chair
• Sen. Jeff Kruse (R-Roseburg)
• Sen. Floyd Prozanski (D-Eugene)
• Sen. Vicki Walker (D-Eugene)

HB 2482: Introduced by the House Committee on Transportation. Referred to the House Transportation Committee

House Transportation

• Terry Beyer (D-Springfield) - Chair
• George Gilman (R-Medford) - Vice-Chair
• Carolyn Tomei (R-Milwaukie) - Vice-Chair
• Peter Buckley (D-Ashland)
• Tom Butler (R-Ontario)
• Tobias Read (D-Beaverton)
• Greg Smith (R-Heppner)

Call to Action

Since SB 293 has been scheduled for a hearing, our initial efforts should focus on that piece of legislation and on the Senate Judiciary Committee members.

Amateur radio operators should send an email or letter to the committee members educating them on the important role Hams play in emergencies etc., explain why operating an amateur radio is different than a cell phone, and suggest that the legislation be amended to exempt amateur radio operators licensed by the Federal Communications Commission.

Letters are more effective, so take the time to write and mail one. Send it to the committee chair with a cc to each committee member. (Addresses below). Also cc your own State Senator and State Representative (see below for a link to how to find your Senator and Representative).

Our correspondence with legislators needs to be laser focused on specific issues. We don't need to try and argue for or against the legislation's impact on cell phone usage, for example. Leave that fight to someone else. Our goal is specifically to get amateur radio exempted from this piece of legislation and our energies should be focused there.

Make your letters brief, concise and polite. Remember, you know far more than they do about amateur radio so take the opportunity to educate them in a kind manner about our hobby and why it should not be lumped in with using a cell phone while driving.

Specific points in your letter should include:

Info on the legislation specifically:

Operating an amateur radio transceiver is different than a cell phone, for one it doesn't require holding a device to your ear;

The definition of "mobile communication device"; is too broad.

The goal is to limit cell phone usage, but many other uses get lumped in with this broad definition. The bill should be amended to exempt amateur radio operators;

Other states, including New York and Connecticut, have exempted amateur radio operators from similar laws.

Ask them to support amending the bill to not apply to amateur radio operators licensed by the Federal Communications Commission.

Info on amateur radio generally:

Amateur radio operators are licensed by the Federal Communication Commission;

A written test on amateur radio regulations and technology is required to receive your license;

Amateur radio operators play an important role in Communication during emergencies, natural disasters, and large public events like parades and sporting events (e.g. Cycle Oregon);

Oregon DMV issues special "call sign" license plates to amateur radio licensees.

Committee Addresses:

Sen. Ginny Burdick (D-SW Portland) - Chair
900 Court St. NE, S-317
Salem, OR 97301

Sen. Roger Beyer (R-Molalla) -- Vice Chair
900 Court St. NE, S-217
Salem, OR 97301

Sen. Jeff Kruse (R-Roseburg)
900 Court St. NE, S-211
Salem, OR 97301

Sen. Floyd Prozanski (D-Eugene)
900 Court St. NE, S-319
Salem, OR 97301

Sen. Vicki Walker (D-Eugene)
900 Court St. NE, S-210
Salem, OR 97301

Find your Legislator: http://www.leg.state.or.us/findlegsltr/

Contact your Legislator: http://www.leg.state.or.us/writelegsltr/

ARRL-Oregon Section leadership will be working with Senate Judiciary Committee members to amend the legislation by adding the following exemption for amateur radio operators:

"Section 2(2)(c) Nothing in this act shall be construed to apply to voice or data transmissions by an Amateur Radio operator possessing a valid amateur service license issued by the Federal Communications Commission"

Additional information on the legislative process. An idea for a new law is submitted to Legislative Counsel by legislators or committees. Legislative Counsel is the legal office for the Legislature, essentially their lawyers, who are tasked with taking an idea for a new law and drafting it into a bill. The draft version is called a Legislative Concept or "LC" and can be refined before it is introduced or "dropped"; If the person who requested the legislation approves of the draft, they introduce it and it receives a bill number. Bills with an "HB"; before them are House Bills, those with an "SB"; are a Senate Bill.

Because the attorneys in Legislative Counsel are working off of ideas or concepts, the initial draft of the legislation is imperfect. The attorneys in Legislative Counsel, while proficient in the law and Oregon Revised Statutes, don't know every little nuance about every single issue. Much of the legislative process is spent refining the bill via amendments to remove unintended consequences or fix other problems with a bill.

Once a bill is introduced it is referred to the desk of the House Speaker (House Bills) or Senate President (Senate Bills), the respective leaders of each chamber. These two legislators decide what committee to refer the bill to. Once it is assigned, it becomes the decision of the committee chairperson whether or not the bill receives a hearing. There is no obligation for a committee chair to hold a hearing on every single bill assigned to a committee.

This is one of the first opportunities to influence the life of a bill. (The process of the Speaker or Senate President assigning a bill is another, if you can convince them, for example, to "bury"; a bad bill in a committee where you know the chair will not hold a hearing on it. Since these bills are already assigned to a committee, this option is not available to us.) Since there is limited time, the chairperson is going to hold hearings on the legislation most important to them (and the majority caucus.) So, a bill must be of some priority to the chairperson to begin its life. Convincing the chairperson that the legislation is ill conceived and thus doesn't deserve a hearing is the first chance to stop it.

If the chairperson decides to hold a hearing, the second opportunity to influence arises. Presenting testimony and suggesting amendments is done during the hearing process. (The process can actually begin before the hearing if you know for sure the bill will be getting a hearing by working with committee members and the chairperson on suggested amendments.)

This is another point at which the bill can die as well. Just because it receives a hearing doesn't mean it will have a "work session"; After the hearing, the chair may decide not to schedule a work session on the bill. A work session is necessary to amend the bill and pass it out of committee. If a work session is held, this is when amendments can be offered by committee members and approved or killed by committee members. Usually, a work session is only held if the committee chair believes he/she has the votes to move the bill out of committee and to the floor of the chamber.

Once voted out of committee, the bill has a "second reading"; in the chamber. At the "third reading", a vote is held on the floor to pass or not pass the bill. This is a chance, once again, to influence the fate of the bill.

If it passes out of the chamber, it goes to the other chamber and the process starts all over again. If it navigates through both chambers (and the second chamber does not amend the bill) it goes to the governor's desk for a signature or a veto. If the second chamber has amended the bill, it must first go to a conference committee composed of members from both chambers to iron out the differences. If they agree on one version, it goes back to each chamber for their approval before going to the governor.

As one can see, there are numerous opportunities to influence the fate of legislation.

ARRL Oregon Section
Section Manager: Bonnie M. Altus, AB7ZQ
ab7zq@arrl.org

Check List for a Quality Club Mentor Program

Here is a check list to help your club prepare to assist new hams. Use these suggestions to develop your mentor program. http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/club/mentor/check-list.html

Multi Media Library

The ARRL Multi Media Library www.arrl.org/multimedia has lots of PowerPoint presentations that can be used to introduce hams to many operating modes. Some of these programs include downloadable document files that can be printed and distributed as part of a training session or presentation.

These files are free to download and include many topics such as: Introduction to HF operating, DXing, contesting, HF mobile and many others. Some of the authors include Ward Silver, N0AX; Dean Straw, N6BV; Mark Spencer, WA8SME; Steve Ford, WB8IMY.

From the ARRL Club News for February 2007

Contests and special events

In the next five weeks there is going to be a lot of activity on the weekends plan accordingly. Join in on some of the QSO parties and some great DX contests.

ARRL International DX Contest CW	2/17 0000Z to 2/18 2400Z
Road Kill Roundup QRP Kontest	2/22 0230Z to 0400Z
RSGB 80M Club Championship CW	2/22 2000Z to 2130Z
CQ 160 meter SSB Contest	2/24 0000Z to 2/25 2359Z
REF Contest SSB	2/24 0600Z to 2/25 1300Z
UBA DX Contest CW	2/24 1300Z to 2/25 1300Z
Mississippi QSO Party	2/24 1500Z to 2/25 0300Z
North American QSO Party RTTY	2/24 1800z to 2/25 0600Z
North Carolina QSO Party	2/25 1700Z to 2/26 0300Z
ARRL International DX Contest	3/3 0000Z to 3/4 2400Z
AGCW YL-CW Party	3/6 1900Z to 2100Z
Pesky Texan Armadillo Chase	3/8 0230Z to 0400Z
Idaho QSO Party	3/10 1300Z to 3/11 0100Z and 3/11 1400Z to 2400Z
Oklahoma QSO Party	3/10 1400Z to 3/11 0200Z and 3/11 1600Z to 2000Z
Pain PSK 31 Contest	3/10 1400Z to 3/11 1600Z
Wisconsin QSO Party	3/11 1800Z to 3/12 0100Z
CLARA and Family HF Party	3/13 0000Z to 2400Z and 3/17 0000Z to 2400Z
10-10 International Mobile Contest	3/17 0001Z to 2359Z
Russian DX Contest	3/17 1200Z to 3/18 1200Z
Virginia QSO Party	3/17 1800Z to 3/19 0200Z
Run For The Bacon QRP Contest	3/19 0100Z to 0300Z
CQ WW WPX SSB Contest	3/24 0000Z to 3/25 2359Z

See you on the airwaves --- de W6IGK Elmer

For those interested in working 160 meters& here are the band allocations by ITU regions. Eric K3NA contributes the 160 meter band allocations by ITU region from the International Radio Regulations, which are summarized as follows:

1800-1810:
Region 1:	No amateur use
Region 2:	Exclusively amateurs.
Region 3:	Shared by Amateurs, Fixed, Mobile (except aeronautical mobile) and Radio-Navigation. Radio-location is a secondary user.
1810-1830:
Region 1:	No amateur use in D2, EK, OE, 4K, UW, ON, LZ, TJ, 9Q, OZ, SU, E3, EA, ET, EK, SV, I, UN, OD, LY, UR, PA, YK, EX, UA, T5, EY, 3V, EZ, TA, UT, 9U, 7P. Shared with Fixed and Mobile (except aeronautical mobile) in HZ, T9, YI, 5A, UJ, OM, OK, YO, S5, TT, 5V, YU. Otherwise, exclusively amateurs.
Region 2:	Exclusively amateurs.
Region 3:	Shared by Amateurs, Fixed, Mobile (except aeronautical mobile) and Radio-Navigation. Radio-location is a secondary user.
	LORAN on 1825-1875 & 1925-1975 is protected.
1830-1850:
Region 1:	Exclusively amateurs, except no amateur use in 9U and 7P.
Region 2:	Exclusively amateurs.
Region 3:	Shared by Amateurs, Fixed, Mobile (except aeronautical mobile) and Radio-Navigation. Radio-location is a secondary user.
	LORAN on 1825-1875 & 1925-1975 is protected.

From Elmer W6IGK

Here's a great product announcement - NAOMI, the North American Overlay Mapper has been re-issued as a fully Windows-compatible program. There's more good news: starting with the latest version v1.2, NAOMI is now available for download completely free of charge. Get a FULLY WORKING copy of NAOMI on your computer for as long as you wish to keep it. Among numerous other features, the program contains 47 full-screen (1020 x 650 pixel) maps at 1:2,000,000 scale. 2 full screen overview maps and a comprehensive multi-page Help System and Information Guide. It's available online at www.mapability.com/ei8ic - wow, thanks Tim EI8IC!

In between manualism practice, Bob N6TV also found http://local.live.com for photographic views of earth-bound stuff from space. Just enter an address at the top of the page, then click on "Birds eye", next to "Aerial". (It might not have a bird's-eye view available.) Click N E S W for different views. Zoom in with a scroll wheel, if you have one. Warning, it's addictive!

Bob K0RC contributed a link to an overview of the new TIA-222-G tower structural standard: http://beradio.com/mag/radio_changes_tower_standards/index.html contains good background material and how and why the criteria has changed in the updated standard. There is also a link to a PDF file of the new TIA-222-G specification www.meilinc.com/NAB-2003presentation.pdf that was prepared prior to formal release of the standard.

An oldie-but-goodie was recalled recently in a Towertalk reflector post by Man-Above-Town Steve K7LXC. When mounting multiple antennas on a single mast, to lessen the amount of torque on the mast due to wind mount the antennas in equal numbers on opposite sides of the mast. The resulting twisting forces will cancel each other, reducing the load on your rotator.

What's going on outside the ham bands on that extended-receive rig you bought? You're in scanner-land now, lads and lassies! An excellent Web site full of information, technical details, and data by the Imperial ton is the Radio Reference page at www.radioreference.com Create an account for yourself and have at it!

Ed W1AAZ notes that the 28 Sep edition of EDN magazine's on-line version contains three good radio-electronics articles:

• Five questions about resistors – http://tinyurl.com/yc8dyt
• Circulating currents - the warnings are out (a.k.a. Ground loops) – http://tinyurl.com/yc3b4
• Modeling skin effect in Spice – http://tinyurl.com/yfdbae

All are good discussions on topics of concern to radio designers.

If you are teaching or mentoring (or learning!) Morse code, Ray G4FON has just released version 9 of his Koch Method Morse trainer (www.g4fon.net). He says that it features a more flexible user interface and a few other new goodies, as well.

Norm KA4PUV's radio club has just completed a series of ten study guides for the Technician exam in PowerPoint format. They can be used either for self-study, or in a classroom setting. If you or someone you know can use these, they're offered to the amateur community at no charge at: http://cnormany.googlepages.com/home .

Amazing Contesting Energizer Bunny Jim AD1C has a written a program to convert some Cabrillo contest log formats into CT's RES format. This allows non-CT users to take advantage of CT's reports; rate breakdown, country breakdown, etc. The user must use CT to convert the RES file to BIN format. The conversion program and instructions are found at: http://software.adlc.us/#Cabrillo and you can download CT for free from http://www.k1ea.com .

If you are looking for schematic and PCB layout software, then KiCAD may be worth a look. KiCAD (www.lis.inpg.fr/realise_au_lis/kicad ) is an "open-source software" electronic CAD system and includes the Eeschema (schematic editor) and PCBnew (PCB layout) programs, plus other. Versions are available for both Linux and Windows operating systems. (Thanks, Michael VE3TIX)

OH7SV has written a spreadsheet calculator for circular loop antennas and made it available for downloading at http://tinyurl.com/yzvha3 . The spreadsheet calculates the various parameters for circular copper loops including inductance, tuning capacitance, radiation resistance,loss resistance, efficiency, etc. (Thanks, John KU4AF)

Jim W6RMK contributes another excellent reference link - the Belden "Coaxial Cables and Applications" technical paper at http://tinyurl.com/vgjeg . Good reading for well-grounded fundamentals of one our most frequently used materials.

That's it for February -- Elmer W6IGK

1. Text on Web pages displays as Morse Code
2. Graphics arrive via FedEx
3. You believe a heavier string might improve your connection
4. You post a message to your favorite newsgroup and it displays a week later
5. Your credit card expires while ordering online
6. ESPN Web site exhibits "Heisman Trophy Winner" ...for 1989
7. You're still in the middle of downloading that popular new game, "PacMan"
8. Everyone you talk to on the 'net phone' sounds like Forrest Gump
9. You receive e-mails with stamps on them
10. When you click the "Send" button, a little door opens on the side of your monitor and a pigeon flies out.

CALL TO ACTION UPDATE

A priority at the present time in the section is to write as many letters as possible to your legislature members and the judicial committee requesting that amateur radio be exempted from SB293. Suggested points to make are posted on the section website in the call to action document.

According to the ARRL Counsel Chris Imlay, when you try to do things by definition you leave loopholes for interpretation. He recommends going the blanket exemption route for amateur radio, which is pretty cut and dried.

On Tuesday, February 13, Everett Curry, W6ABM, the section Public Information Coordinator and Kevin Curry, KA7KYQ, the State Government Liaison, visited the capital without having been notified that the SB293 hearing date had been changed. They dropped our written testimony off at the Senate Judiciary Committee office, visited with Senator Burdick's staff and learned that some amendments had been submitted for the bill but would not be added prior to the hearing. They also met with Senator Beyer and he agreed to support the amendment. I attended the hearing on Wednesday, February 14 and provided testimony to support our amendment.

After hearing Senator Burdick's closing summary of the hearing, it was very clear to me that we do need an amendment specifically for amateur radio as the ARRL recommends. If we collaborate with other public service agencies, we are likely to end up with a bill that will only allow us to use our radios when we are supporting public service events. We want an amendment that will allow us to transmit on our radios anytime we are mobile.

After the hearing, I stopped by Senator Gary George's office, in whose district I live, and gave his staff a copy of my testimony. I just missed him as he was going to a committee meeting. Then I went to Representative Brian Boquist's office. He met with me and I gave him a copy of my testimony and told him we would like the same amendment in HB 2482. Due to an email from Mary Anne Sanford, W7MAS, Representative Tina Kotek's office is submitting the amendment to the transportation committee. Brian Boquist said that is good news since she is in the majority party and that the amendment will probably be there. He said it will take awhile since because of a backlog they are not taking amendments until the 25th. After a reasonable length of time, if it's not there, he told me to give him a call.

One member of the amateur radio community suggested that this would be a good time to ask clubs to focus on educating their members on good operating practice as well.

SECTION LEADERSHIP REPORTS

The February 2007 report of January activities from Scott Gray, W7IZ, STM (Section Traffic Manager), is posted on the section website. It contains reports from a number of nets, activities of a number of individual amateurs and an invitation to the NTS meeting at Rickreall.

Dan Bissell, W7WVF, ASM (Assistant Section Manager) for Southwestern Oregon submitted a report of activities in that portion of the state and it is posted on the section website as well.

The ARES/RACES unit reports will be sent out in a separate email to section in a few days.

During January, four OO's (official observers) reported a total of 147.75 hours of monitoring with one possible serious infraction that may need attention noted.

ACTIVITIES PLANNED

There have been changes to the road and exits on highway 22 near Rickreall that you need to be familiar with when coming to the Salem Hamfair this weekend. Information on that is posted on the section website.

The Idaho Section Manager requested that the neighboring sections announce that the Voice of Idaho Amateur Radio Club will host the annual Southwestern Idaho Hamfest on Saturday, April 28, 2007 at Vallivue Middle School in Caldwell, Idaho. Talk-in will be on 146.840 PL 100. Registration is $6 in advance and $7 at door. Visit them on the web at http://www.voiceofidaho.org.

ELIMINATION OF CODE REQUIREMENT

February 22 at 9:01 p.m. (midnight eastern time zone) is the earliest that operators can upgrade to general or extra class licenses without taking a code test. If you have a CSCE for the written test, you must go to a test session, pay the fee and get a CSCE that shows you are qualified for the general or extra class license prior to operating with the new privileges using /AG. Let's use this as an opportunity to work on our mentoring skills Work on your operating procedures and help others learn. Remember that all of us were new to amateur radio and new to HF at one time.

ARRL CCE COURSE COMPLETIONS

Mary Anne Sanford, W7MAS, has successfully completed ARRL's Level I - Introduction to Am ateur Radio Emergency Communications Course (EC-001). Art Sochor, KD7AUE, has successfully completed Level II (EC-002). He sent me an email during the course to find out about HF and VHF emergency nets. I respond to all the emails I get from students taking the courses and if I don't have the information they are asking for, copy someone in their portion of the state who can help. I am trying to gradually get all the information needed for the activities posted on the section website.

AFFILIATED CLUB ADDITION

Gorge East Amateur Radio Club (GEAR) in The Dalles has achieved affiliated club status. It was a long slow process and Phil Hawkins, KC7KI, ASM (Assistant Section Manager) for Eastern and North Central Oregon, deserves credit for pushing the process along. He emailed me and reminded me to follow up on it a number of times. The club contact is Bryan Dean, KE7AQD.

There is an affiliation application in the pipeline for another club and that one is waiting for ARRL Executive Committee approval at the moment so I should have another affiliation to announce to you in a month or two.

We now have 29 affiliated clubs, including three special service clubs listed on the ARRL website.

If a club applies for affiliation status, please let me know so I can follow-up on it if needed. After the application is sent to the ARRL by the club, the ARRL sends copies to Jim Fenstermaker, K9JF, the Division Director, and to me for our approval. Once the ARRL receives our approvals, it goes to the Executive Committee for their approval. The ARRL notifies the club that their affiliation was approved and they send the affiliation certificate to either Jim or me. I will attend a club meeting to present the affiliation certificate if possible. This process does take time, so when you apply, be prepared to be patient.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL Oregon Section
Section Manager: Bonnie M. Altus, AB7ZQ
ab7zq@arrl.org

---

The Southern Oregon Amateur Radio Club is a general purpose ham radio club and is affiliated with the American Radio Relay League. Anyone interested in amateur radio is welcome to attend our meetings. We operate the ARRL-sponsored field day each June and support emergency communications. We also promote volunteer exams for those interested in becoming licensed by the FCC. For more information contact one of the board members listed below.

---

Officers: President: Dennis Recla, WA5KTC, Tel. 955-1704 Email: recla@magick.net Vice President: Richard J. Huttenga, KD7WIA, Tel. 955-2901, Email: huttenga@terragon.com Secretary: Jim Woods, W7PUP, Tel. 956-5287 Email: w7pup@arrl.net Treasurer: John Stubbe, K7VSU, Tel. 479-3718 Email: baldeagle@atiinternet.com

Board of Directors: Officers, listed above plus: Rob Locher, W7GH, Tel. 474-6758 E-mail: rob@roblocher.com Elmer Seutter, W6IGK, Tel. 955-5240 E-mail: seutter@earthlink.net Burton Griffin, WB6CYK, Tel. 479-7888 E-mail: wb6cyk@yahoo.com Galen Kelm, KE7LM, Tel. 582-2267 E-mail: ke7lm@charter.net Robert Goff, W7MKA, Tel. 476-2064 E-mail: robert.h.goff@gmail.com